Sightings for week ended 5 July by Linda

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We have seen many more gannet chicks this week and they are now very easy to spot on camera. As they grow in size (and confidence!), they are also developing their fluffy white down feathers.

Fidra

Guillemot chicks have now fledged! After their brief three weeks on land, they will now be tended to by the male parent at sea until they are able to fend for themselves. With the chicks gone from the ledges, we are now seeing the guillemots in much smaller numbers. There are still razorbills around, but no sign of chicks in the last couple of days. The shag chicks are looking very well and growing fast. Puffins continue to come and go from their burrows, as well as ‘socialising’ on land.

Dunbar Harbour

Many more kittiwake chicks are being spotted now, still very fluffy and again, growing in confidence and being seen with increasing frequency.

Craigleith

We continue to have sightings of puffins with sandeels in their beak and many are out and about on the island. The cormorant chicks are now very large and developing their juvenile plumage. Lots of herring gull chicks continue to roam around, developing feathers in place of their ‘baby’ fluff.

Isle of May

Shags are doing very well, feeding and tending to nests of two or three chicks on each nest. The chicks were ringed this week, so we can now enjoy following the progress of each little individual! We are seeing more guillemots here than on Fidra, a sign that their chicks have not yet gone to sea.

Sparrowhawk

We have been enjoying our improved view of the nest since the camera was moved last week. Three chicks are present and appear to be doing well.